ACHIEVE: Prepare and Your Chance Will Come

As you enjoy this week away from your regular university routine, take a minute to think about our third topic for National Career Development Month: ACHIEVE. What is your plan for after you complete your studies here at Virginia Tech? Do you need help creating one? Career Services is here to help you put together a plan to set and reach your goals. Below are tips or resources to put you on the path to ACHIEVE.

Whichever direction you choose as you finish your degree, Career Services can help you reach your goals. How can we help you ACHIEVE? Let us help you get started!

Go out and Experience!

Explore. Experience. Achieve.

After talking about Explore, it's time to discuss experience.

As you might have gathered from my post about Gobblerfest, I'm passionate about my fellow Hokies getting out and experiencing everything they can.  College is a great time to do this, since for most people it's your first time having the freedom to find yourself and only be responsible for you.

You've probably heard it before - you can't learn everything in the classroom or from a textbook.  Some things you just need to experience for yourself.

However, experience is so much more than just getting internships and learning what "living in the real world" is like.  Experience is putting yourself out there, making mistakes, and getting in touch with your inner self.

Academics are important.  I'll never deny that.  As a computer science major myself, I have missed out on a plethora of opportunities while I slaved away over programming projects in the CS lounge.  However, everyone needs a break.  Why not take a break by trying something new?

Once again, Virginia Tech comes to the rescue by being the huge university that it is.

Did you know that vt.edu has a calendar that lists a number of events that happen every day on campus?  Although a number of the events listed are academic, there's also a great list of different exhibits and performances by students and professionals alike.  Of course, many of the bigger performances are also posted over at student affairs.

Fine arts not your style?  The Virginia Tech Union (VTU) hosts concerts and films on campus all throughout the semester for significantly cheaper than you'd find anywhere else.

Although it's getting into the colder part of the year, Virginia Tech is also within a half hour's drive to Cascade Falls, a beautiful hiking trail that's dog friendly.

So next time you're sitting in your dorm, lazily browsing Reddit or Facebook for hours on end, remember there are plenty of awesome activities and events going on within walking distance or a short drive.  There are a multitude of better ways to put off your homework.

Get off those tail feathers and go experience all this Virginia Tech (and surrounding areas) has to offer!

But try not to put off studying for your finals for too long.

Have a question for an employer? Get answers TONIGHT!

Have a question for an employer? Get answers TONIGHT from employers! Need some job search tips? Questions about interviewing? Unsure about starting your first professional position? Find answers tonight and network with employers.
Employer Panel starts at 6 pm in Smith Career Center:
More information here

 

November: A Perfect Time to Explore Careers

November. When we think of November, many things come to mind. For Americans, Election Day, Veterans' Day and Thanksgiving are all November events. THANKSGIVING BREAK! For us sports fans, the start of the college basketball season as the college football season winds down. No Shave November. On top of all these observations, November is a special month in career centers across the US because it is National Career Development Month.

How can Career Services help you develop your career? 3 key ways we highlight in our slogan: Explore. Experience. Achieve. In this post, we're focusing on EXPLORE.

Our newest tool to assist you in your career exploration, CandidCareer, can be accessed right from our website; be sure to start at our web site rather than going directly to the CandidCareer site. This site features 1000's (that's right, thousands!) of interviews with people in all sorts of different careers from A - Z:

Alumni Association Exec, Broadcast Producer, Career Counselor, Dentist, Environmental Scientist, Food Safety Manager, Golfball Diver (for real!), Home Inspector, Insurance Analyst, Judge (Circuit), Lumber Dealer, Mutual Fund Manager, Nurse Neonatal ICU, Operations Manager, Public Relations VP, Real Estate Broker, Social Media Manager, Technology VP, US Ambassador, Veterinarian, Writer and Editor, Yoga Instructor

Each interviewee shares a job description, loves vs. challenges, preparation tips, the speaker's story, and final advice. One feature I really like in this site is that you can search for careers by major.

In addition, many of the professionals in Candid Career share career advice on a variety of topics including tough interview experiences, phone interviews, how to dress, cover letters, networking, resume writing, salary negotiation (mostly about asking for a raise), and more. Need career advice at 2 a.m.? Visit CandidCareer to see if you can find an answer there.

For more resources to help you explore, check out our Columbus Day post on exploring.

Start the journey to your career during this special month devoted to career development. Explore careers as you map out your future. If you need help charting out your exploration, call 540-231-6241 to set up a meeting with one of our career advisors. What questions do you have about the careers you want to explore?